Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Red Eye
2005
***
Director: Wes Craven
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays, Laura Johnson, Jack Scalia, Suzie Plakson

This snappy, no-nonsense thriller doesn't beat around the bush. We're introduced to a hotel manager who is accustomed to being on top of things. On a flight to Miami she is seated next to a suave young man whose blackmail scheme suddenly turns her into a helpless victim. The story is fresh and gripping, McAdams and Murphy are good in the lead and Wes Craven keeps things moving at a relentless pace. Then the film hits the usual stumbling block, the ending. It wants to offer us gratification but feels terribly clichéd and contrived.